valabind(1)

📦
version 2.1.0 · 2 versions
, in arch rolling

🌸 NAME 🌸

okay so this is the valabind(1) manual page, bestie — the vala to swig interface conversor. no cap, that's the whole vibe of the name section. 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

valabind [-h] [-x] [-v] [-V vapidir] [-o ofile] [-m modname]
         [-p profile] [-N namespace] [-D SYMBOL] [--swig] [--node-ffi]
         [--ctypes] [--gir] [--cxx] vapifile

the positional at the end is vapifile, iykyk.

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Valabind is a program written in Vala that aims to generate nodejs, c++ or SWIG interfaces (.i) from a vala-generated or hand-made vapi files. literally the whole point, bestie.

SWIG opens the door to create bindings for Python, Perl, ruby, lua, and many other scripting languages. it's giving “one tool, so many friend groups.” 🫶

🎀 options, bestie

  • -h — show help message. so helpful, so iconic.
  • -o OUTPUT — specify output file name. the synopsis calls this one ofile, fyi.
  • -m NAME — specify module name. the synopsis calls this one modname.
  • -N NS — include given namespace for processing. synopsis says namespace.
  • -D SYMBOL — define a preprocessor symbol inside Vala code.
  • -p PROFILE — select Vala profile (posix, gobject, dova). pick your fighter. ✨
  • -x — generate c++ code for SWIG bindings.
  • -v — show version information.
  • -V PATH — specify an alternative vapidir path. the notes below call it -V VAPIDIR, so don't @ me.
  • --swig — appears in the synopsis; the original page gives it no separate one-liner, so no invented lore here.
  • --node-ffi — appears in the synopsis; no separate description is given on this page.
  • --ctypes — appears in the synopsis; no separate description is given on this page.
  • --gir — appears in the synopsis; no separate description is given on this page.
  • --cxx — appears in the synopsis; no separate description is given on this page.

🦋 NOTES 🦋

okay this part is important, bestie. Valabind processes a single module at a time: the module named with -m is the only one whose classes, structs, enums and methods are emitted in the output. Any additional vapifile arguments passed on the command line are not processed as independent modules — only the first class of the first file ends up being walked. 😭

To resolve types that come from other modules (e.g. a r_core.vapi that references symbols declared in r_asm.vapi), drop the extra vapis and their sibling .deps files under the directory passed to -V VAPIDIR and invoke valabind with just the single positional vapi you want emitted. that's the move. 🎀

🚨 Reproducing the pipeline by hand with every .vapi on the command line is a common mistake and will silently produce a nearly empty binding. not the slay you want, fr fr.

🌈 ENVIRONMENT 🌈

  • XDG_DATA_DIRS — Standard freedesktop environment variable to point to the share prefix directory where vala looks for vapi files.

⭐ HYPER-REFERENCES ⭐

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

👑 AUTHORS 👑

  • pancake — <pancake@nopcode.org>
  • Eduard Burtescu — <edy.burt@gmail.com>
💌 cute sign-off: this valabind(1) page is sourced from radare and dated Nov 15, 2012. byeee bestie, go generate some interfaces 💋
📦 where this page comes from